Hi
@Mlh -
I like that, in your CAD, the cathdral arms attach lower than in the Stuller ring. The reason that section of the band on my ring is different, ie solid and lower, is because, altho I do like a cathedral setting, I always feel as tho high-attached cathedral arms look as tho they're obscuring the head a trifle. In profile, they look very structural, rather than aesthetic. So on solitaires, I always do away with them, but have the band swooping upwards in a curve where it meets the head. It integrates the band with the head (as opposed to how it would look were the band to remain flat all the way to the head - and then having the head suddenly sticking up), without adding a lot of extra structural detail and metal. So to my eye, that's a win-win.
Secondly, I love the basket on your CAD! Very pretty, elegant, visually restful, and draws the eye upwards to the diamond. Just lovely. I think you've made as much of the visual approach to the stone as is possible with this kind of design - so, well done you!
As for the taper, if you look carefully, there definitely is one, but it's difficult to see and the band at the back overlaps the band at the front, and sort of 'fills in' the negative space made by the tapering effect where it joins the head - so it looks as tho it's maintaining the same width all the way around. Personally, my favorite combo is around 2.2mm at the back, to around 1.7mm at the front. But again - personal taste. It definitely tapers as is, tho, and will taper more as it reaches the head - which you'll see in real life. In the CAD, it's just obscured under the head, while the rest is made difficult to see by the back band behind the front band.
I think that's about all I have to contribute, design-wise, but if anything else springs to mind, I'll come back and add it. In the meantime, I'll definitely be following your journey! This is going to be a beautiful ring, Mlh!
